System for ventilating and purifying sewers and the like.



SHOT/"mao E. F. HEAD.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.4, 1907. RBNBWBD JULY 14, 1908.

PatentedFeb. 23, A1909.

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SYSTEM PoR VENTILATING AND PUBIPYHQG4 swms AND THE LIKE kill/l E12/9imesses UNITED STATES PATENT OFFOE.

. i EDWARD FRANCIS HEAD, OF SUDBURY, ONTARIO, CANADA.

SYSTEMMFOR VENTILATING AND PURIFYING SEWERS AND THE LUCE;

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 23, 1909.

Application led November 4, 1907, Serial No. 400,576. Renewed July 14,1908. Serial No. 443,513.

To all whom it may conce/rn.:

Be it known 'that I, EDWARD FnANeis HEAD, a subject of the King of GreatBritain, residing at Sudbury, in the Province of Ontario and Dominion ofCanada, have invented a new and useful System for Ventilating andPurifying Sewers and the Like, of which the following is aspecification,

This invention relates to systems for ventilating and purifying sewersand has for its object to provide means for consuming the foul air andgases in the sewer mains of large cities, town and other communities,the combustion of the foul air and gases being utilized to generatesteam for running a motor or engine or for doing other mechanical Work.

A further object of the invention is to provide a valve or damper fordeflecting foul air and gases from the sewer into the combustionchamber, there being a fan mounted for rotation in the ventilating shaftor stack beneath the combustion chamber and actuated by the draft insaid stack for producing additional power.

Further objects and advantages will appear in the following description.

In the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification and inwhich like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts there isillustrated a preferred embodlment of the invention capable of carryingthe same into practical operation, it being understood that variouschanges in form, proportions and minor details of construction may beresorted to within the scope of the appended claims.

The improved ventilating system is rincipally designed for installationin arge cities, towns and other communities in which the refuse of thecity is carried off by a system of under-ground pipes er conduits and byway of illustration a portion of a sewer main is shown at 5 with one endthereof coinmunicating with a sewer disposal indicated at 6.

Erected above the sewer main 5 is a power house 7 of any approvedconstruction, the latter being provided with a vertically disposedventilatingshaft or stack S, the lower end of which communicates withthe sewer main, as shown. Arranged within the power house 7 is a boilerfurnace 8 having a lire box 9 and provided with a plurality of firetubes 10 which form a source of communication between the combustionchamber 9 and the interior of the Ventilating shaft or stack.

Disposed beneath the furnace 8 and referably disposed in alincment withthe ront wall thereof is a partition 11 defining a foul air chamber 12,there bein@ a valve or damper 13 pivotally mounted for swingin(imovement on the partition 11 and adapter to close an opening 14 formedin the furnace S beneath the 'lire-grate, as shown. The front end of thechamber 12 communicates with the interior of the Ventilating shaft orstack 8 and mounted for rotation m the adjacent wall of the chamber 12at the open end thereof is a fan 15 the radiating blades 1G of whichextend partly within the stack and in the path of the foul air or rasesarisin(r from the sewer main. Pivotafly mounted for swinging movementabove the fan 15 is an auxiliary valve or damper 1G the function ofwhich is to deflect the gases arising from the sewer through the chamber12 and opening 14 into the combustion chamber 9, there being a stop lug17 formed on the interior walls of the stack for limiting the downwardmovement of the valve or damper 16, as shown.

The valves 13 and 1G may be operated in any suitable manner and in thepresent instance are shown each provided with a drum 18 to which isattached a flexible cord 19 terminating in a handle 20 so that byoperating the handles 20 the valves may be moved to open and closedposition.

An air vent or opening 21 is preferably formed in the stack 8 at a ointadjacent the 'fan 15 thereby to admit fi'esh air to the interior of saidstack. An air shaft or intake 21 also preferably communicates with theinterior of the sewer main 5 so as to permit free circulation within thelatter.

ln operating the system in large cities and towns where the accumulationof gas in the sewer mains is sufficient to afford a constant supply offuel for the furnace, the valve 1G is moved to closed position and thevalve 13 to open position m which event the foul air and gases from thesewer main will enter the chamber 12 and thence pass through the opening14 to the combustion chamber 9 where they will be thoroughly consumedand the products of combustion discharged through the fire tubes l() tothe stack, the steam generated in the boiler being utilized for runninga motor or engine or for roducing other mechanical work. As the oul airor gases pass through the chamber 12 they will revolve the fan l5 andthus produce a suction in the sewer main, this suction being increasedby the draft in the stack due to the discharge of the products ofcombustion from the furnace.

A belt or other flexible medium 22 may be connected with the fan 15 andextend to a motor or other mechanical device to assist in producingpower.

lhen the system is installed in relatively small towns where theaccumulation of gas in the sewer would not be sufficient to maintain thefurnace in constant operation the Valve 18 is closed and the valve 1moved to open position. A fire having been previously started in thefurnace 8 the products of combustion escaping to the Ventilating shaftor stack through the fire tubes will ignite the sewer gases thusproducing a draft and causing the wheel or fan to rotate in the mannerbefore described.

From the foregoing description it is thought that the construction andoperation of the device will be readily understood by those skilled inthe art and further description thereof is deemed unnecessary.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is:

1. The combination with a sewer, of a Ventilating shaft communicatingtherewith, a furnace having a foul air chamber, a Valve for deflectingthe foul air from the sewer through the chamber to said furnace, and aValve disposed'within the chamber for cutting o communication betweenthe sewer and the furnace.

2. The combination with a sewer, of a Ventilating shaft communicatingtherewith, a furnace having a foul air chamber disposed beneath thesame, a fan mounted for rotation within the foul air chamber, a damperdisposed within the Ventilating shaft for deiiecting the foul air fromthe sewer through the chamber to the furnace, and a valve for cuttingoff communication between the furnace and foul air chamber.

3. The combination with a sewer, of a Ventilating shaft communicatingtherewith, a furnace having a foul air chamber' arranged beneath thesame, a fan mounted for rotation in the foul air chamber, means disposedwithin the Ventilating shaft for deflecting the foul air from the sewerthrough the foul air chamber to the furnace, and means for cutting offcommunication between said chamber and furnace.

4;. The combination with a sewer, of a Ventilating shaft communicatingtherewith, a furnace including a fire chamber and having a plurality offlues forming a source of communication between the fire-box andVentilating shaft7 there being a foul air chamber disposed beneath thefurnace and communicatingI with the latter, a fan mounted for rotationin the foul air chamber, means disposed within the shaft fordeflectingthe foul air from the sewer through the chamber into thefire-box, and a Valve for cutting off communication between the foul airchamber and said fire-box.

5. The combination with a sewer, of a Ventilating shaft communicatingtherewith, a furnace having a fire-box and provided with a plurality offire tubes forming a source of communication between the fire boX andVentilating shaft, there being a foul air chamber arranged beneath thefurnace, a fan, a damper disposed within the shaft above the fan fordeflecting the foul air from the sewer through the foul air chamber tothe fire-box, a damper for cutting off communication between saidchamber and fire* boX, a motor, and means connecting the motor and fanfor transmitting motion from one to the other.

6. The combination with a sewer, of a Ventilating shaft communicatingtherewith and provided with an air inlet, a boiler furnace having afire-box and provided with a plurality of fire tubes forming a source ofcommunication between the 'lire-box and Ventilating shaft, a partitiondepending from the furnace and forming a foul air chamber opening intothe Ventilating shaft, a fan mounted for rotation in the foul airchamber at said opening and projecting partly within the Ventilatingshaft, a damper pivotally mounted within the Ventilating shaft above thefan for directing the foul air from the sewer through the'foul airchamber to the lire box, and a valve pivotally mounted on the partitionfor cutting off communication between the foul air chamber and fire-box.

7 rhe combination with a sewer, of a Ventilating shaft communicatingtherewith, a furnace having a foul air chamber, means for deflectin'gthe foul air from the sewer through the chamber to said furnace, meansfor cutting off communication between said chamber and furnace, and anair intake spaced from the Ventilating shaft and communicating with thesewer.

8. The combination with a sewer, of a Ventilating shaft communicatingtherewith, a furnace having a foul air chamber arranged beneath thesame, a fan, means disposed Within the Ventilating shaft for deflectingIn testimony that I claim the foregoing the foul air from the seWel`through the foul as my own, I have hereto a'BXed my sigair chamber tothe furnace, means for cutnature in the resence of two Witnesses.

ting oi communication between said cham- ED ARD FRANCIS HEAD. 5 ber andfurnace, and an air intake pipe Vitnesses:

spaced from the Ventilating shaft and com- MAY HUNTER,

municating with the interior of the sewer. EILEEN F. HEAD.

